You Are Loved
by Scarlet Hanson
Summary: Everyone needs to be loved, and sometimes we need to be reminded by those closest to us that we are, indeed, loved.


Standing on the edge of his patio, Matthew drew in a deep breath and closed his violet eyes. "Goodbye, everyone," he whispered, knowing no one would hear him, or even care that he was gone. He felt the tears form in his eyes, and fought back his fear.

A small voice in his head whimpered, _I don't want to die._ But the rest of his body screamed for him to jump from this fourth-floor hotel patio. Existing alone was more pain than his heart and soul could bear.

_Don't give up._

Alfred floored it to Matthew's presence. He had awoken to a feeling of panic in his chest, his body breaking out in a cold sweat. He called Arthur and Francis, then ran out the front door in only his sweatpants and jumped in his car.

"Please, please don't let me be too late," he murmured to himself, passing another car on the highway. He knew Matthew was still alive, he could feel him. Matthew's presence became stronger, and he followed the feeling to his brother.

_It's just the weight of the world._

Matthew sat down for a moment, breathing deeply. "You can do this," he told himself, "you have to do this."

He began to sob. "Why does no one love me?" he whispered. "What did I do? Why can't they see me?" He looked up to the starry sky, clutching his chest and screaming, "Why, God, why?" He collapsed to his knees in tears. He stayed there for a minute, then looked up in surprise at the presence he was sensing.

"A-Alfred? But why?"

Alfred's heart rate picked up. "Mattie!" He sped off the highway into the city, following his senses to Matthew.

Arthur pulled into the parking lot of a hotel, knowing Matthew was inside. "Matthew?" he called, not expecting a response.

Matthew felt two more pangs of nations' presences, and leaned over the railing of the patio. "A-Arthur?" he called tentatively.

"Matthew!" Arthur called, looking up at the boy. "Matthew, what are you doing up there?"

Matthew began to cry, screaming, "As if you care!"

Arthur ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "I… Look, I know I haven't been the best parent to you—."

"Ha!" Matthew called. "Not the best? You all out forget I exist!"

"Look, I'm not perfect, ok?" Arthur yelled up at him defensively. "I've done a lot of bad things, but that doesn't mean you should off yourself!"

"This isn't about you! Everyone forgets me! 'Who's Canada?' they say!"

_If your heart's heavy, I will lift it for you._

Arthur was at a loss of words, and another car pulled in. "Francis!" he called, running to him. "Thank God you're here!"

Francis jumped out of his car, running to the Briton. "What is going on?" he asked worriedly.

"God, Francis, he's trying to jump!" Arthur pointed up at Matthew, who squinted to see the new figure.

"Papa?" Matthew called.

"Mathieu! What is the meaning of this?" Francis called, already on the brink of tears.

"Papa… I… I can't take it!" Matthew yelled.

"Take what? Mathieu, I'm here! I hear you! I see you! Just come down here and talk to me!"

_Don't give up because you want to be heard._

"No!" Matthew screamed. "I've tried talking! No one listens! No one even acknowledges that I'm there!"

"I'm listening now!" Francis called desperately. "My son, I'm here to listen! I was wrong to ignore you all those years! Just please come down!"

"No!"

Francis sighed, tears falling from his eyes. "Arthur…" he murmured, his hand searching for something to cling to.

Arthur placed a hand on Francis' shoulder. "I know… our boy…"

Alfred then peeled into the parking lot, causing a couple passersby to look over at the scene. Alfred parked his car abruptly and ran out to the other two.

"Mattie!" Alfred screamed at the top of his lungs.

_If silence keeps you, I will break it for you._

"Alfred! W-What do you want?"

"I want my brother!" Alfred yelled, making Matthew's tears renew. "I want you to come down here and talk to me! God dammit, I don't want you to die!"

Matthew bit his lip, a sob breaking loose from his lips. Why were they all here? They didn't care about him… did they? No, no! They didn't! They never would!

Arthur spoke up once more. "Matthew… please! We're all here for you!"

Francis nodded, and added, "We're here to listen!"

_Everybody wants to be understood. Well, I can hear you._

Matthew shook his head violently. "No… no, no! None of you ever cared about me!"

Alfred's heart broke at the statement. "Mattie, yes we did! We showed it in weird ways, but we cared about you! _I_ cared about you!"

Francis cried, "_Mon petit_… please! I'm begging you, come down!" He clung to Arthur's arm to keep from collapsing.

"D-Don't you understand! I have to do this! The pain… won't go away! Not unless I end it now!"

Arthur felt his lips quiver and swallowed back tears. "That's enough, Matthew! I know you're hurting but… stop using it as an excuse! We're here to ease the pain, to share it and bear through it! Can't you see that, you bloody fool!"

_Everybody wants to be loved. Don't give up._

Alfred shouted, "Can't you see that we're here to help you?"

_Because you…_

Matthew was getting more and more broken. "Why? Why do you care now?"

…_are…_

"Because we love you, you idiot!" Arthur screamed, his eyes finally releasing the tears he'd been holding back.

…_loved._

Matthew stood with his mouth agape. "Y-you do?"

"Of course we do!" Francis cried.

"Why else would we be here, Mattie?" Alfred added.

"I… I don't know!" Matthew threw a leg over the railing. "I don't believe you!"

"Mattie, no!"

"Mathieu!"

"Matthew!"

Matthew stopped with one leg over the railing, his body too weak from tears to continue. "You... you never loved me before! Why start now?"

Alfred barked, "Aren't you listening? We just said we did love you! We always have!"

Matthew recoiled from the anger. "S-see? You're mad! I can't do anything right!"

"Now who said that?" Arthur yelled up to his son.

"E-everyone! Al's always doing everything right, and I'm no one!"

_Don't give up. It's just the hurt that you hide._

"What? Like screwing up the world economy?" Alfred shouted. "Like being selfish? Is that what I've been doing right? How about ignoring my own brother? Have I done that right?"

Matthew couldn't take much more. "Just go away! I want to die!"

Alfred shook his head. "No! I won't let you! I'm coming up there, Mattie!"

"What? No, don't!"

Alfred wiped away his tears. "Yes, I am! I'm going to save my little brother, like a hero should!"

_If you're lost inside, I'll be there to find you_.

"Al…" Mattie whimpered to himself, genuinely touched. Alfred just rushed inside the building, leaving Arthur and Francis in the parking lot.

Francis spoke up after a second. "Why would you ever think we didn't love you? That _I_ didn't love you?"

"B-Because you love Arthur! You talk about him all the time, and say such nice things about him to everyone."

Arthur stared at Francis. "Francis?"

Matthew continued. "You never talk about me! You always talk about him!"

Francis sobbed once. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't talk about you! I'm so, so proud of you, Mathieu, you have no idea!"

_Don't give up because you want to burn bright._

"Liar!" Matthew threw his other leg over the railing, balancing his weight on the small bit of flooring beyond the railing. He gripped the railing tightly, feeling the breeze pick up and rustle his hair. "And you!" he yelled at Arthur. "You always loved Alfred best! You bragged about being his parent, his dad! But you never said anything about me!"

Arthur was hit by the weight of those words. "Look, I'm sorry. Matthew! I was wrong! You're such a better kid than Alfred was, and I'm sorry that you ever felt like you were less than him, because you're not! I love you both, so very very much. I love you two more than I've ever loved anything or anyone! You're my sons, for God's sake!"

Matthew shook his head. "It's too late for apologies. You're only saying them to make me come down."

"And why do you think we want you to come down, Mathieu?"

"I-I don't know!"

Alfred ran up the stairs, finally having haggled the room number from the front desk. He jumped stairs as quickly as possible, using his full power as a nation to rush to his brother's side.

_If darkness blinds you, I will shine to guide you._

"It's because we love you!" Francis insisted.

"N-no! It's because I'm a nation!"

"How many times must we say it, Matthew?" Arthur yelled in desperation. "We love you! All of us!"

Alfred found the room number, and began banging on the door. "Matt! Open up! Please!"

Matthew was overwhelmed. Why… why were they here? They… Did they… love him? He shook his head. He wouldn't fall for it. They always had ulterior motives. Although he did not understand them, he refused to give into them.

_Everybody wants to be understood. Well I can hear you._

"Dad, Papa…" he began. "Thank you for everything you've given me."

"Matthew! Don't talk like that!" Arthur cried, ice locking around his heart.

"But this is goodbye," he called down as Alfred broke down the door to his room. He let his fingers slip one by one, leaning forward into the empty air.

Alfred cried, "Mattie, no!"

Matthew ignored him, letting his last fingers slip as he fell off the edge.

"_MATHIEU!_"

"NO!"

Matthew felt the weightlessness of falling for an eternal second. His mind cleared, time slowed. This was it. Sweet relief was soon to come. The blissful nothing.

_Everybody wants to be loved. Don't give up._

Matthew was yanked out of his reverie by a sharp, excruciating pain in his shoulder. He looked up to see Alfred dangling off a second-story railing, his hand grasping Matthew's tightly. Alfred had jumped out with him, grabbed his hand, and saved them both.

Matthew cried. "Why… Why did you save me?"

Alfred gave him a smile. "Because that's what heroes do."

Matthew clung to his brother, who lifted him up enough for Matthew to climb onto Alfred's back. "God, Al, I don't want to die," he cried.

Alfred climbed over the railing, flinging both of them onto the patio of the room and holding him tightly. "Sh, sh, Mattie, I know."  
>Matthew clung to his brother and sobbed.<p>

Alfred patted his back, never letting go of his dear brother. "You know, it's all true."

"W-what is?" Matthew looked at his brother with teary eyes.

Alfred smiled, wiping the tears from Matthew's cheeks. "That you're loved."

_Because you are loved._

Matthew was helped down the stairs by his brother after a maid let them in through the patio door. The two brothers stumbled outside, Matthew's arm around Alfred's shoulders for support. Arthur and Francis ran to the two, embracing them tightly as a crown of people that had formed to watch the spectacle began to clap and cheer.

The four nations fell to their knees together, their arms wrapped around one another. Matthew sat in the middle of the circle, being embraced by his family, and cried. "I'm so sorry!" he squeaked out.

"No," Arthur sobbed. "We're sorry. We're so, so sorry, Matthew."

Francis squeezed the other three gently before adding, "Let's go home. _All_ of us."

It was a quick trip to Matthew's house, where the four held each other once more. Alfred wouldn't let Matthew out of his sight once he'd called Kiku to update him on the news. Alfred kept Matthew in his arms until they both fell asleep on the couch, and Arthur and Francis helped them up into bed.

Closing the bedroom door quietly behind him, Arthur turned to Francis. "Kind of reminds you of the old days, doesn't it?"

"_Oui_," Francis replied softly, looking at the door rather than at Arthur.

"So… what was that Matthew said about you loving me?" Arthur interrogated.

Francis' hand rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… er…" he mumbled, cut off by Arthur pressing his soft lips to Francis'.

Francis stood still, unsure how to react, and Arthur pulled away before Francis' mind could begin to form coherent thoughts.

At Francis' stare, Arthur turned bright red. "Wh-what? Don't expect it again!" Arthur went to stomp past Francis when he was swept up into a tight hug from behind.

"I'm so happy," Francis murmured.

Arthur's angry face softened into discomfort. "W-well… good! You should be!"

Francis smiled. "Let's go to bed."

All was well in the FACE family home.


End file.
